Stater has never been quick on trends but they know how to move product and do volume. I don't think their prices are even that great anymore. But they have properly staffed and well stocked stores. They also seem to know how to keep stores open because they haven't closed even 1/10 the number of stores that Albertsons, Ralphs, and Vons have closed in SoCal over the past decade.

I used to frequent the West Covina store. It seems more cramped than others. I haven't been there in months (its the second closest Staters to my house, but faster to get to than the closer of the two).

They also seem to know how to keep stores open because they haven't closed even 1/10 the number of stores that Albertsons, Ralphs, and Vons have closed in SoCal over the past decade.

Probably because it’s much smaller and most of its stores are located in the Inland Empire — a region that, as a whole, hasn’t experienced the intense demographic shifts that LA and Orange Counties have. The rest of its stores (LA/Orange) were cherry picked from the Lucky-Albertsons merger.

Stater Bros. Operates roughly the same number of stores in LA/Orange today that it did then (a few opened, a few closed-mostly in the past few years); all growth has come in the Inland Empire. And it obviously doesn’t have any intentions on expanding in LA/Orange either, since it twice choose not to bid on any of the Albertsons-Vons divested stores (initially, and during Haggen’s bankruptcy), all of which featured leases significantly below market rate. They just won’t get that opportunity again.

And it obviously doesn’t have any intentions on expanding in LA/Orange either, since it twice choose not to bid on any of the Albertsons-Vons divested stores (initially, and during Haggen’s bankruptcy), all of which featured leases significantly below market rate. They just won’t get that opportunity again.

I agree with what your saying about them not doing much expansion in LA/OC but they did pick up one Haggen in Simi Valley. Although that is technically in Ventura County, Simi Valley is considered a suburb of Los Angeles with the majority of residents working in LA.

They also seem to know how to keep stores open because they haven't closed even 1/10 the number of stores that Albertsons, Ralphs, and Vons have closed in SoCal over the past decade.

Probably because it’s much smaller and most of its stores are located in the Inland Empire — a region that, as a whole, hasn’t experienced the intense demographic shifts that LA and Orange Counties have. The rest of its stores (LA/Orange) were cherry picked from the Lucky-Albertsons merger.

Stater Bros. Operates roughly the same number of stores in LA/Orange today that it did then (a few opened, a few closed-mostly in the past few years); all growth has come in the Inland Empire. And it obviously doesn’t have any intentions on expanding in LA/Orange either, since it twice choose not to bid on any of the Albertsons-Vons divested stores (initially, and during Haggen’s bankruptcy), all of which featured leases significantly below market rate. They just won’t get that opportunity again.

I was very surprised Kroger or Stater did not take advantage of the Haggen situation better.

San Diego would have been another opportunity for Stater. As it stands they have one store in San Diego proper (far north) which until a year ago featured a repainted Lucky 90's interior.

They also seem to know how to keep stores open because they haven't closed even 1/10 the number of stores that Albertsons, Ralphs, and Vons have closed in SoCal over the past decade.

Probably because it’s much smaller and most of its stores are located in the Inland Empire — a region that, as a whole, hasn’t experienced the intense demographic shifts that LA and Orange Counties have. The rest of its stores (LA/Orange) were cherry picked from the Lucky-Albertsons merger.

Stater Bros. Operates roughly the same number of stores in LA/Orange today that it did then (a few opened, a few closed-mostly in the past few years); all growth has come in the Inland Empire. And it obviously doesn’t have any intentions on expanding in LA/Orange either, since it twice choose not to bid on any of the Albertsons-Vons divested stores (initially, and during Haggen’s bankruptcy), all of which featured leases significantly below market rate. They just won’t get that opportunity again.

I was very surprised Kroger or Stater did not take advantage of the Haggen situation better.

San Diego would have been another opportunity for Stater. As it stands they have one store in San Diego proper (far north) which until a year ago featured a repainted Lucky 90's interior.

Kroger’s decision doesn’t surprise me. They had too many stores — at one point, it was estimated the average Ralph’s pulled in significantly less revenue (and had more expenses) than the average Kroger outside the district — and have been aggressively closing locations. All of the divested Von’s-Albertsons stores were within close proximity of Ralph’s; a few may have had better locations, but the neighboring Ralph’s had recently completed renovation.

Stater isn’t really surprising, either, in the sense that they have not made any effort to expand the chain in LA/Orange Counties over the past 20 years. Smart and Final, OTOH, has been aggressively expanding in recent years.